TEENAGE fire bugs are being blamed for a revenge arson attack on a woman who tried to stop them wrecking an empty house.

TEENAGE fire bugs are being blamed for a revenge arson attack on a woman who tried to stop them wrecking an empty house.

The woman's house on Sheringham Drive, Swinton was torched by petrol bombs on Monday night while she was out and a front room was severely damaged.

The attack on the woman's property is believed to have been caused by a gang of six boys and girls, aged between 13 and 15, in retaliation to an incident the previous Friday night.

The woman was believed to have gone out to prevent the gang from trying to break into the garage of an empty property nearby.

After moving off they came back and put a brick through her front window and on Monday followed this up with a more serious attack in which two petrol bombs were thrown into the boarded-up property.

A neighbour, who didn't wish to be named for fear the gang would target his home as well, said: "She was really brave in confronting them and this is what she gets for her pains.

"We have been having a real problem with these teenagers who have been coming round our estate breaking car wing mirrors, scratching the bodywork of vehicles and generally causing damage to people's property.

"The police are trying their best by using dispersal orders but these vandals know how to work the system. If they see the police approaching they use their mobiles to alert their mates and move off temporarily, before returning to cause more damage.

"The petrol bombing of this woman's house, however, is a different matter. I saw them come down the street on Monday night and one of them had a backpack on which may well have had the petrol bombs in.

"It was the sheer cockiness of their attitude that has got to people. Now we are afraid to go out at night in case we come up against these thugs."

Police are investigating the incident.

A 14-year-old Salford girl was arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life and has been bailed pending further enquiries. A further four youths - a girl and three boys, all 13, were arrested on suspicion of arson.